Obsidian, Sega making next-gen RPG

After working on sequels to other studios' hits for the last two years, Obsidian Entertainment is getting the chance to work on an original role-playing game. Sega today announced that it will "collaboratively develop" a new RPG with the developer for the PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

Sega is touting the deal as the company's latest effort to bring high-quality titles from Western developers to the world. Previously, the publisher has produced Condemned: Criminal Origins, Full Auto, and parts of the Total War series in conjunction with Monolith Productions, Pseudo Interactive, and The Creative Assembly, respectively.

The idea of a new intellectual property appealed to Obsidian CEO Feargus Urquhart, who founded Obsidian upon his departure from Interplay's now-shuttered internal shop, Black Isle Studios in 2003. While there, he worked on the famous Fallout, Baldur's Gate, and Icewind Dale RPG series. Since its inception, Obsidian has only worked on a pair of sequels to BioWare hits--Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II and Neverwinter Nights 2.

"We are excited to be working with a great publisher like Sega, as they are willing and excited to launch new and visionary IP on next generation consoles," said Urquhart. "At Obsidian, our focus is to make exceptional games, and we see Sega as a true partner in achieving that goal for our next epic RPG."

Sega did not announce a release date for the project, nor did it divulge any gameplay, genre, or story details.